Drought, villagers seek divine intervention in Bundelkhand

Bundelkhand, May 29 (ANI): Lack of rainfall leading to drought like conditions has forced villagers in the Bundelkhand region to seek divine intervention to end water woes. Villagers held special prayers for ending the dry spell in the region. The region has not received a drop of rain for the past three years and is currently reeling facing a major water crisis. “Due to lack of rainfall animals are dying and humans are in deep trouble. So we are praying to god to give us rainfall and ease our woes,” said Purshottam Shastri, a priest. “In today’s era of science and technology all these rituals don’t hold much meaning. Let’s see how effective these prayers turn out to be,” said Sudeep Singh, a civic official. India is witnessing a peculiar weather cycle these days, with some regions in the country getting abundant rainfall, while others are reeling under drought conditions. Drought conditions in Bundelkhand are beginning to take a toll on the poor villagers, who are losing their crops and livestock to water scarcity. However, according to an official statement, the State Government has allocated over Rs.10 million to nine districts that fall in the region. It is learnt that over 90 percent of the land could not be cultivated due to lack of irrigation facilities and that the livestock was fast perishing due to scarcity of fodder and water. Drought has caused severe problems for villagers as seventy five per cent of people in the area depend on agriculture and more than 80 per cent are small and marginal farmers. Recently, the State government allocated about Rs. 25 million for ferrying drinking water in rural areas. Announcements regarding Rs. 6.5 million and Rs 2.3 million have been made for organising cattle camps and construction of water bodies in nine districts respectively. (ANI)